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(No Model.)

0. F. WALTERS.

MAIL BAG.

Patented Nov. 11

INVENTOR I WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

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CHARLES F. XVALTERS, OF PROSPECT, NEW YORK.

MAIL-BAG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,021, dated November 11, 1884-.

Application filed July 5, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. WAL'rnRs, of Prospect, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bags, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The main object of my invention is to provide a bag which,when being filled with mailmatter or when being dumped, not only holds its mouth open and remains so, but presents a full and clear opening at its mouth end, whereby increased facility is afforded for filling and emptying the bag, also in which provision is made for the easy closing of the bag; and the invention consists in a novel sectional construction of the body of the bag at and near its month end and in the fastening for securing the bag when closed, substantially as hereinafter described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a mail-bag when closed embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a partly broken and sectional View of the mouth-end portion of said bag when open, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through the fastening-frame which is applied to the mouth end of the bag closed.

r The bag, made of leather, is similar in its general configuration to mail-bags now in use; but its upper or mouth-end portion is of peculiar construction. Thus said mouth end portion on each of its two opposite sides is made with an upper sectional body-piece, B,

having a straight lower edge, which is turned inward and united by rivets b to a turned-in upper edge of the main or lower body portion, A, of the bag. The upper edge of each of these leather sections B is of bowed or semicircular form, and is turned outward and united by rivets c with a correspondinglyshaped or arched lower turned edge of an upper leather section or top piece, 0, having its other edge straight. These bent pieces Ohave secured on their straight or mouth-closing edges the semicircular metallic frame-pieces D D of the fastening. By this construction of the mouth-end portion of the bag the sections B G will fold downward oii the outside of the body part A when the bag is opened, the joined edge portions of the pieces B C then coming below on the outside of the bag, and the joining edge portions of the body part A and sections or pieces B coming above on the inside of the bag, as shown in Fig. 2. This leaves a full and smooth or clear opening of circular or nearly circular form at the month end of the bag, and the mouth thus opened is held and remains so by the folded-over portions B C on the outside of the bag, thus greatly facilitating dumping and filling of the bag. The frame at the mouth of the bag is composed of two semicircular pieces of metal, D D, the one D of which is of a little less sweep than the other one, D, to provide for the close shut ting of the one over or within the other when the bag is closed. The frame-piece D is constructed with longitudinalslots (1 cl in its ends for engagement with fixed pivots e c in the ends of the other frame-piece, D. These pivots form the points or centers of motion for the frame-pieces in opening and closing the bag, said framepieces when the bag is open assuming what is practically a circular form. The outer and slightly larger frame-piece, D, is provided on and along its inside face With a series of headed locking-pins, f, which, when the mouth of the bag is being closed, enter by their shanks as the frame-piece D shuts within the section D within angular slots 9 in the.

inner frame piece or section, D. These slots, which are approximately of L shape, have their one portion arranged to run in direction of the length of the frame -piece, and their other portion,which extends through the edge of said piece, made flaring at its mouth, to facilitate entry of the shanks of the pins f within the slots 9 without specially adjusting them or sliding the frame-piece which carries them when closing the mouth of the bag. After the bag is closed and the frame-pieces D D shut one within the other the frame-piece D is slightly slid lengthwise by the slots at on the pivots e, to cause the pins f to interlock with the longitudinal portions of the slots This construction of a fastening-frame differs from others as applied to mail-bags'in which a sliding leather fastening-strip, slotted to receive T-headed fastening-pins, is used in combination with a slotted thickness of the mailbag and guard-strip; also differs from others in which a slotted sliding strap is used in combination with a series of narrow stationary metal guides attached to a perforated flap of r bowed or semicircular frame-pieces D D, the

the bag, and a steel spring having headed stop-pins fitted between the front portion of the binding and the upper edge of the mailbag are made to form the fastening-frame.

Upon the inner frame-piece, D,is alsosecured an outwardly-projecting staple or eyebolt, h, to which a hasp, E, is fastened, said eyebolt entering down within an angular slot, i, of the frame D when closing the frame-pieces D D, and so that by sliding the frame piece D in a given direction longitudinally, causing the pins f to engage with the longitudinal portions of the slots g, as described, said hasp is free to engage with a staple, 7c, upon the outer framepiece, D, after which the whole may be secured by a padlock, G, the bow of which passes through said staple k. r

The hasp E is constructed to hold a card or label indicating destination, &c., of the mailbag, and visible through a sliding open top, m, pivoted as at n, and engaging with a catch, 0, at its opposite end, and having the opening in or through it crossed by bars 8, which prevent the card or label from being torn or coming out.

The bag is provided on its opposite sides near the top with ears H, to which are fastened rings a, by which the bag may be held or hung when open and being filled.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a mailbag, the combination, with the main body part A, of the upper opposite side sectional body-pieces, B B, having bowed or arched upper edges, and the sections or top 4 pieces, 0 O, united along their'one edge with the arched edges of the sections B B, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth. 2. In a mail-bag, the combination of the flexible sections 0 O at the month end of the bag, the sectional body-pieces B B, united with the sections 0 O by an arched joint, and the main body part A, whereby when the bag is opened the sections B 0 fold downward on the outside of thebody part A, and a clear circular or nearly circular opening is established and maintained at the month end of the bag, essentially as herein described.

3. In a mail-bag, the fastening frame-piece D, constructed with longitudinal slots d d at or near its ends, and provided with headed locking-pins f, in combination with the framepiece D, provided with end pivots, e e, and constructed with angular-shaped slots 9, opening through the edge of said frame-piece, and running in direction of its length, for operation in relation with each other, and with the mouth portion of the bag, to the opposite sides of which said frame-pieces are secured, sub- I stantially as specified.

4. In a mail-bag fastening, the combination, with the frame-piece D, having the eye h, and the outer framepiece, D, having a staple, 7c, and a slot, 73, or" the hasp E, constructed to contain a label or card, and provided with a pivoted sliding lid, m, having an opening through which the label is exposed, and protectingbars 8 across said opening, essentially as described.

CHARLES F. WALTERS.

lVitnesses:

GERTIE A. LINDSAY, NELLIE A. LINDSAY. 

